Discover New Zealand from above and on the ground.

New Zealand has become one of the world’s preferred tourist destinations for those desiring a breathtaking holiday experience.

Going one better, Rest New Zealand Tours and its joint venture aviation partners have developed a unique tour package called “The New Zealand Sky Safari” just for those tourists with a yearning for a personalised aviation adventure.

Flying from one highlight to the next within New Zealand’s diverse landscape and exploring the exciting ground activities on the way are the ingredients of this memorable fun holiday.

The product was originally released in Europe in 1996 and after the incredibly positive response from this market it was decided to introduce it to a wider audience. In 1997 and 1998 the tour was introduced at the Oshkosh AIRVENTURE and in 1999 the company displayed for the first time at the AOPA EXPO which was held in Atlantic City. Since then the company has exhibited at several AOPA EXPOS.

Sky Safari customers fly normally throughout the country in a single engine aircraft such as Piper Archer or Piper Warrior under the guidance of an experienced New Zealand pilot tour guide. The tours are aimed at clients who either want to fly themselves or want to use the tour as an introduction into flying, or who simply want to be flown around this beautiful country. In each case the New Zealand Flight Instructor accompanies the clients throughout the tour, in the air, and on the ground.

Jack and Joyce Revelle from New York State learned about the New Zealand Sky Safari during the AIRVENTURE in Oshkosh and booked the tour for February 1999. After completing the tour, Jack Revelle commented: “Really everything was excellent beyond our fondest expectations. To begin with they gave us a practically brand new 172 Skyhawk, then we had a super nice young man as our guide instructor. The accommodations and the variety of the places we stayed at were superb. I can’t think of anything you could do to improve upon this wonderful adventure that we have experienced.”

Dave Kilburne from California who did the tour with his wife in January 2000 said: “Thank you for putting together the best vacation trip I have ever experienced. The airplane was new and perfectly suited for the journey. The accommodations were top notch. The entire trip well planned. The best part though was your very fine pilot Kurt Pedersen. I have been around aviation for the better part of thirty years and I want to tell you he is one of the finest pilots I have had the privilege to fly with! I am passing the word to everyone who will listen about how great our Sky Safari was.”

“The tours run from November through to April and are six days long, although shorter or longer ones can be offered on request,” Sky Safari Chief Flying Instructor Joy Peters says.

Rest New Zealand Tours contract only the most experienced New Zealand Civil Aviation approved Flight Instructors/Pilots to perform the function of tour guide, thus ensuring the efficient and safe operation of the Sky Safari.

The pilots have intimate knowledge of the varied and rugged terrain that makes New Zealand such a desirable flying destination. They are ensuring that clients can enjoy hands on flying and the scenic panoramas that unfold as they fly over the ever changing beauty of this unique country without the stresses of navigation and weather assessment.

“While New Zealand is a relatively small country, it has only 3.6 million people and packs in a wide variety of spectacular scenery. From sub-tropical beaches to mountain ranges and glaciers, including fjords and active volcanoes, New Zealand has it all and the Sky Safari allows you to sample most of this within a relatively short time frame,” comments Reinhard Hueber, Managing Director of Rest New Zealand Tours.

The company responsible for the development and marketing of the New Zealand Sky Safari is uniquely experienced. Rest New Zealand Tours, established in 1987, also offers 4-wheel drive safaris, special interest tours and other “Soft Adventure” arrangements. The company’s international success was recognised in 1992 with the prestigious New Zealand Tourism Award for Market Development.